Injured “Spider-Man” Actor To Leave Rehab

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In this theater publicity image released by The O and M Co., the Spider-Man character is suspended in the air in a scene from the musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," in New York. (AP Photo/The O and M Co., Jacob Cohl) NO SALES

Updated at 8:00 PM EDT on Sunday, Jan 2, 2011

Finally, a bit of good news from the perilous Broadway Spider-Man musical, “Turn Off the Dark." The actor who fell over 20 feet while performing a stunt is slated to be released from a rehabilitation center later this week.

CNN reports that 31-year-old actor Christopher Tierney will be released this Wednesday, after suffering an alarming amount of injuries including four broken ribs, a bruised lung, three cracked vertebrae, and a hairline skull fracture. Tierney underwent back surgery, but his family is optimistic. Christopher Tierney’s father, Tim, said that his son is doing better. “He is walking and doing very well.”

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The show has been riddled with accidents. Another actress, Natalie Mandoza, suffered a concussion after the first preview of the musical (and is reportedly leaving the production), and a stunt man fell over 30 feet when rehearsing some days before.

Tierney’s father also noted that Christopher is eager to return to the show, though some on Broadway are still upset. Nick Wyman, the president of Actors’ Equity, posted a statement on Facebook registering his anger at Tierney’s injuries, writing, “I have been very disturbed and distraught by the serious injuries sustained by our member Chris Tierney at the December 20th performance of Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark. Chris is a study in toughness and grace. Hemingway defined guts as "grace under pressure." Guts is what Chris Tierney has consistently displayed both before and after his accident.”

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The increasing list of cast injuries has caught national attention. Conan O’Brien put on a retooled parody of the musical on his newly minted late night show, “Conan,” where Spidey takes the stage in a neck brace, while Doc Ock shows up in several arm braces.

According to MSNBC, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” is the most expensive Broadway production to date, at a staggering $65 million. It features music and lyrics by Bono of U2, and Howell (The Edge).